mujh ko kal raat us ki hatheli mein mehndi lagani thi
mehndi se belen banani thin bute sajaane the

gul naqsh karne the
aur darmiyan un gulon ke

mere nam ka harf-e-awwal bhi likhna tha
thoda sa pinhan bhi thoda numayan bhi

rang-e-hina se lakiren hamare muqaddar ki
us ki hatheli mein phir se banani thin

kuchh yun ki us ki hatheli ki rekhaen
meri hatheli mein paiwast ho jaen

kal raat us ki hatheli mein mehndi lagani thi
par main qalam ki siyahi se

kaghaz pe aadhi likhi nazm ko
phir mukammal banane ki koshish mein uljha raha

nazm aisi ki jis mein
tasalsul ho us ki khuli zulf sa

aur us ke tabassum ke jharne si lai
us ki baaton sa aahang ho

main ne aadhi likhi nazm par
us ki jadu si aankhon sa unwan sajaane ki koshish bhi ki

par koi aks koi bhi khaka nahin ban saka
meri shab ke muqaddar mein

phir ek bar raegani likhi thi
so wo hi hua

koi tahrir bhi meri puri nahin ho saki
us ki suni hatheli hina ko tarasti rahi

aur kaghaz pe aadhi likhi nazm
aadhi likhi rah gai

kal ki shab bhi meri
hasb-e-mamul phir raegan hi gai